The Greatest Gift of All
by strange1
Summary: Set just after season 7, Willow has been with Kennedy. But she knows that she can't truly love anyone. Not like she loved Tara. The powers that be enter the picture. What gift shall they bestow on the witch?
1. Chapter 1

Willow stared out her bedroom window. Well, it wasn't really her bedroom window. The only ones that she had ever know were gone. They had all been destroyed when Sunnydale had collapsed upon itself. That was mostly because she had found the power and the ability to control that which she had been gifted with.

A lot of things had been destroyed when Sunnydale had been. Even though they knew the end was coming, there wasn't enough time to gather any of their personal belongings. The only thing that Willow had managed to sneak out of the rubble was a picture of Tara and herself. It was taken during Tara's twentieth birthday party. The one that had nearly not happened because of her family.

The picture was quite faded and was torn at the corners. It seemed strange that was the only thing that she had managed to salvage. Strange because she was now supposed to be with Kennedy. The former potential was very much in love with her. But Willow just could not quite return those feelings.

It was true that she cared for her. If anything happened to her she would be upset. But it would not be like when she lost Tara. When she lost her everything, she had nearly lost her mind. It had lead to her nearly destroying the world. If it had not been for Xander, she was not sure what she would have done.

Kennedy simply did not understand that. Perhaps she was jealous that Willow's love for another woman was so powerful. Or perhaps she was not really ready to experience love. Perhaps she was still that young woman that was looking for a good time. Those had been the slayer's words to describe her past relationships with other women.

It really did not matter what the reason was. The fact that Willow still pined for Tara was the key. Though she sat in the bedroom in the east wing of a mansion a couple thousand miles from the only home she had known, she was not really there with Kennedy. Her mind could never really allow her to love another. Not the way that she had Tara.

Breaking up with Kennedy was going to be hard. And yet, there was a sense that the young woman would actually be relieved that she no longer had a steady relationship. Again, Willow got the feeling that Kennedy would rather be out in the bars picking up a one night stand then to be with her.

Still, breaking up with someone was never easy. When she thought of how it felt when Oz had left her, she felt sorry for Kennedy. Even worse was when Tara had left her. It was with good reason. She just could not admit it back then. It had made their relationship that much stronger. Though it was only short lived.

A tear formed in the corner of her eye. Quickly she brushed that away. It was not because she did not want to mourn for Tara any longer. It was because she had to keep her composure while she finally did what she had known she would have to do. In her heart, she had always known that she could never be with another woman.

A few hours later and the young witch was on the road once again. After the gang had gathered in LA to heal their wounds with Angel's help, they had gone their separate ways. Xander was finally going on that trip around the country that he had planned right out of high school. Buffy was taking a break from slaying. She was on a tour of Europe at the moment. Dawn had decided to stay in LA. Her father was there still living with his secretary. Though she hated him for not caring enough to come after her when her mother died, it was the only way that she could stay in LA. Giles had once again gone back to England. This time it was to resurrect the watcher's council.

Willow and Kennedy had done their share of traveling as well. They had ended their travels once they had arrived in Kennedy's home town. Long Island New York was known for the better half. That would be an understatement when describing how Kennedy lived. It was daunting for the young witch, to say the least.

She had managed to settle in a bit. But there had always been something that had been nagging her. It was as if there was something out there waiting for her. Of course with her past experiences, she was not so sure if she was ready or wanted what that was. But she just knew that she had found it.

Kennedy had taken the breakup in her usual style. She had appeared as if it was no big deal. Willow had learned to read people. She knew that if the slayer ever admitted it, it was killing her inside. The witch just hoped that the slayer would not get sloppy while slaying. For she knew that she would throw herself into that to escape.

Willow had been driving for hours. She had pointed her car west and had kept going. It was as if she were being drawn to something. All of this was about being pulled to something. What, she was not sure. All she knew that she had to keep going. The pull was so great that she simply could not resist it.

That was when there was a flash of light. It made the witch slam on her breaks. The car skidded to a stop. When she opened her eyes again, she was no longer in her car. She looked around herself to see nothing but pure white. She could not tell if there were walls or not. All she knew that it was like heaven had been described to her.

She had often wondered if there was a heaven. Had she not survived the car crash? But then it hit the redhead. There had not been a car crash. All there had been was a flash of white. It was the kind that she often saw when she did one of her spells. Something was really starting to creep her out.

"There's no need to be afraid." Willow whirled around to see who had spoken to her. Standing in a white robe was a familiar face. "You aren't exactly in heaven. And yes, there is one. But it's not your time. In fact, the powers that be here have been watching you. They want you to live a long and happy life."

Willow squinted for a moment. She knew it was possible to be seeing who she was. She was just hoping that it was not The First trying to trick her. "I had a happy life once upon a time. Then something called human nature got in the way. It nearly destroyed me. I thought I was finding happiness once again. But I now know that I was just fooling myself."

"Kennedy was not your soul mate. And I know that you are concerned about her. Don't be. She will continue to live a long life. She will even one day meet her own soul mate and settle down." The familiar figured moved toward the young witch. "But that is not why you are here. You are here because you realized something. We up here knew it a long time ago. We just had to see if you could figure it out for yourself."

The witch shook her head to clear it. "If you are trying to confuse me Miss Calendar, you are doing a bang up job. All I realized was that Kennedy and I were better as friends then lovers. That and the fact that there was and will only ever be one true love for me. I would rather spend the rest of my life alone if I can't have her by my side."

"We know." Miss Calendar made her way toward Willow. "I'm here because I did my duty to the best of my abilities. I did not succeed in keeping Angel from losing his soul. I however gave my life so that he could once again have his soul returned to him. I was very impressed at how well you performed the spell. It was a preview of the power that you have inside of yourself."

"I'm happy that you are here in heaven." Willow took a cautious step backward. "You were a great person. Giles was never the same after you died. He tried to move on, but you could just tell that you were still too much a part of him. And I don't know what all this has to do with me and why I am here."

"I thought you'd be able to figure that out by now." Miss Calendar shrugged nonchalantly. "You are here for the same reason that I am. I received a gift. That gift was to get to take care of you and the other scoobies. Do you think that the squeak of the bringer's shoe was merely a coincidence? I thought it was a good way to alert Giles."

"You saved him?" Miss Calendar nodded. "That's so cool!" Willow paused and looked carefully at the woman before her. "You say that you received a gift. And that I'm here for the same reason. Does that mean I am receiving a gift? And if it does, no offense, but I'd rather not be here if that means being dead. Unless..."

"Unless you could spend it with Tara?" Willow swallowed hard at the thought. "The powers that be have a better idea for you. Though someday you will make a great addition to the guardians, we feel that you have a greater purpose on earth. You will travel from town to town and help the people there. They will not have ordinary problems. You knowledge of the craft will come in handy. But you will not be able to perform this task alone. You will need someone there that will be able to help you in every possible way."

Again, Willow swallowed hard. She was not sure if she was understanding everything. It could not be what she had been hoping and praying for. It just could not be true that she would have her everything back. That she would finally have her reason for living back. But what other possibility was there?

Before the witch could say anything, there was yet again another flash of light. When she opened her eyes, she fell to the ground. Tears were steadily falling from her eyes. There was no way that this was real. It all had to be a dream. The past few years were a nightmare. It was like she had ended up in hell.

The familiar figured slowly made her way toward the redhead. Willow was practically hyperventilating she was crying so hard. Then there was that familiar touch upon her cheek. That was the moment that she knew that this was all real. It had taken what seemed like a lifetime but she was finally back with her everything.

Willow took Tara in her harms. She held on so tight that breathing became an issue for both of them. They pulled back out of the embrace. The redhead carefully reached out and moved a silky blond strand of hair from her everything's face. "Tara? Is that really you? Are you back for good or is this all a dream?"

Tara put her hand on Willow's cheek. "I'm back once again. I'm here because you were able to overcome your fears. You were able to perform the greatest magick that the world has ever known. You saved humanity. And for that, you and I have received the greatest gift there ever is. We get to have a second chance at life."

Willow fell into Tara's arms. This was all so surreal. But she knew that it was real. There was that familiar smell that she knew. And that touch. Tara was finally back in her arms once again. And according to Miss Calendar, they would get to travel the world together. This truly was the greatest gift of all.

AN Tell me what you think. Should I continue? I'll try and update this and 'Choices of Life' as well. If anyone wants me to. Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed.


	2. Chapter 2

AN Well, here's the updateas requested. Glad that you liked it. Warning right now, it won't be this often in the future. I'll try to keep it updated often, but no promises. And I have to say, thanks for inspiring my muse. You know who you are. Love you

Willow was headed nowhere. Yet, she was headed somewhere. Again, she felt that she was being guided. Where she would end up, she did not know. At this point, she did not care. All that she cared about was the fact that her everything was along for the ride. She knew that now that the two of them were back together, they could face anything.

"I've been watching you." Willow turned toward Tara for a moment. She quickly had to return her eyes to the road. It was the conversation that the redhead had been dreading. How could she have even thought about being with Kennedy. "It's all right. You being with Kennedy. I know that you tried everything to get me back. Despite her rough exterior, she really is a great young woman. She just has a lot to learn about life yet."

The redhead kept her gaze straight ahead. She was so afraid to look at her everything. "Still, I want you to know that deep down it never really felt right. It just seemed to happen so fast. And there was the fact that she was being hunted down by The First. I think there was a part of me that wanted to protect her."

"I know." Tara put her hand on Willow's leg. "You don't have to explain to me what you were going through. You lost me. You thought that you would never be able to feel anything like that again for another woman. It was never as strong as what we had and never would be. But there was something there. I'm glad you told Kennedy that."

Willow shook her head. "OK. It's just a little creepy that you know what I was doing while you were..." She trailed off and glanced at Tara. "In heaven." She swallowed before continuing. "I don't know what you were doing. The only thing that I know is that you still loved me a great deal. I could feel it."

"Exactly." Willow again glanced at Tara. "I was loving you the whole time. I was part of what Miss Calendar is. We were so loved in life and loved so well ourselves that we were granted the gift of looking out for our loved ones. But there is no gift in the world that could top the two of us being together."

That made Willow grin from ear to ear. Tara understood that it wasn't her trying to get over her or the fact that she didn't love her anymore. It was the fact that she had tried to move on with her life. She was still on earth and was still very lonely and very hurt. Plus she had seen that side of Kennedy that Tara had described. Someday the slayer would make someone very happy. That was one thing that she was very sure of.

Before either could say anything more, the car started to veer toward the next exit. "I guess this is where we get off." The sign was for a little town called Wintersborough, Pennsylvania. "Gee, I didn't even know where we were. Guess I was basking in the fact that we are now together like we should be."

Willow could feel the car being pulled in one direction. They ended up pulling into a tiny little bed and breakfast. The sign read 'vacancy'. It appeared that there were no other guests at the moment. She guessed that the middle of October was not exactly the peak travel time. As they got out of the car, an older woman made her way out the front door.

The woman had dark hair that had streaks of grey in it. Her glasses hung from a string around her neck. There were little wrinkles upon her face. Her eyes seem to sparkle. "Can I help you two young ladies?"

"We'd like a room." Willow made her way to the trunk. She was a little surprised when she saw that there was more then just her luggage there. But then, she shouldn't be. After all, the powers that be had granted her everything. They could do whatever they wanted. "I'm not sure how long that we'll be staying. I hope that's not a problem."

"No, not at all." The older woman made her way to the trunk. "Let me help you with the luggage. I have more then one room available if you two want your own rooms. I wouldn't charge you but for one. I'm just glad for the company."

Willow looked at Tara. Both were starting to realize why they had been brought to the little town. It was something they both knew very well. It was so hard to live when you were so lonely. "We really just need the one room. And we'll be glad to help out around the house if you need it. You could say that we're on an extended vacation. But keeping busy is part of both of our nature."

"That's right." Tara was still by the passenger side door. She had noticed the moment that they had pulled in that the house was rundown a bit. It looked like it could use a lot of work. Both of the young women was more then willing to help someone else out. "In fact, I used to take care of the house when my mother was sick. It was actually kinda therapeutic."

The three of them made their way into the house. "The rooms are all upstairs. Mine is here on the first floor. Breakfast is included. Other meals depend on what you want to eat. I make just about anything. My specialties are desserts if I do say so myself. I sell some down at the local diner. It's a big hit, so I'm told."

"I'm sure it is." The three made their way upstairs. "You have a beautiful house. Is there anyone else here?" Willow asked tentatively. She didn't want to bring up anything painful. But she had to find out the answer if she really knew why they were here.

"Unfortunately, no." The woman opened the first door. "My Henry died a few years back. We never did have kids. So, I live here all alone. By the way, where are my manners. My name is Gina Johnson. Everyone just calls me Gina. You young ladies do the same. I'll leave you two to settle in. You can come down when you are ready."

"Thanks. By the way, I'm Willow." She stuck out her hand. Gina tentatively took it. "This is Tara." The two nodded heads at one another. "We'll be down in a little bit." Gina nodded and shut the door behind her. The redhead turned toward her everything. She made a beeline for her. "I know we're supposed to be helping, but I needed a kiss." With that, the two shared one passionate kiss.

After they recovered, the two started to unpack their suitcases. Tara was the first to break the little bit of lull in conversation. "I think we're thinking the same thing. The reason that we're here is because Gina is a very lonely woman. And the tone she had when she mentioned her husband. It was exactly how you sounded when you talked about me. You know, before."

"Yeah." Willow quickly finished unpacking. "I get the feeling that we're supposed to go to the old diner. I think we'll find what we're looking for there." Before she opened the door, she took Tara into her arms and gave her a bear hug. "I just can't get enough of touching you. Gonna be hard to control myself when we're in public." Tara blushed a little. It made Willow smile. She was still her Tara, the woman that she loved more then life itself.

The two made their way down the stairs. They found Gina in the kitchen. "Would you two care for something to eat? I know it's early but I figured with you two traveling you might be ready for an early lunch."

"No thanks." Willow took Tara's hand in her own. It was back to that habit that had formed so long ago. "If you don't mind, we're just going to walk around. The town doesn't look that big. Plus, we've been driving for a few hours. Will do both of us good to actually stretch our legs a bit."

"That's fine." Gina went back to stirring whatever was she was making on the stove. "I'll have supper ready at six. Hope that's not too early. But I have to prepare the baking for the morning. Then I'm off to bed early. Gotta get up early to have the baking down to the diner when it opens at seven."

"That'll be great." Willow smiled as the two walked off. She could not help but notice a picture setting on the mantle over the fireplace. Both young women walked over to it. It was of Gina and a handsome looking man. "I'd say that is Henry. You can tell by the way that they are smiling. They looked so happy in that picture."

"They were." Tara put her head on Willow's shoulder. "I don't know if we'll be able to find someone that will ever make her that happy again, but we have to try. I hate to see anyone going around that unhappy. Especially when they had something so obviously special."

"Exactly." Willow stole another quick kiss before the two started their tour of the little town. They easily found main street. It was like all those little towns you see. They had the little stores with the upper part being used for apartments or storage rooms. It was like going back in time for the redhead. All she had known was Sunnydale. That was a little bit more modern of a town then this little one.

When both of them saw the diner, there was a sensation that flowed through each other. Again, something was telling them that this was the place that they had been searching for. Tara smiled shyly. "I'd say it's time for lunch."

The two made their way in and sat at a corner booth. The waitress came over and handed them menus and brought glasses of water. The two were barely glancing at the menu. The two witches were more about seeing who was in the diner and what was going on around them. If they had both felt it, there was a reason to be here.

It was like they were in sync as both spotted the cook at the same time. Tara grabbed Willow's hand. The redhead could see what the blond was seeing. Tara had always been gifted with seeing someone's aura. It had helped them when Faith and Buffy had switched bodies a few years ago. It looked like her gift was going to come in handy now.

"That's Henry." Willow kept her eyes on the cook. "At least when you look at him it is. I guess that means that we've found who Gina is supposed to be with. But how do we get the two of them together?"

Both looked at each other. The two thought as they ate their meal. There just had to be some way that they could get the two of them together. Finding true love was never easy. When it was taken from you, it was sheer torture. Trying to find it once again would never be easy. Especially when they really knew nothing about either person.

Finally, it was time for dessert. The waitress laughed when Willow asked if they had anything good left. "Are you kidding me? I don't know why Seth orders so much. I think he has a thing for the woman that makes our baked goods. They are great, but we just don't have enough business for it all. Most of it goes to waste."

Willow and Tara exchanged a look. The redhead was the bold one. "Is Seth the cook by chance?" The waitress nodded her head. "I guess he's just being sweet and helping out someone that needs it. We're staying with Gina. She told us that she's the one that makes the baked goods."

"Yep." The waitress shook her head. "If you ask me, it's more then just being sweet. He's got a thing for her and is too shy to do anything about it. But what do I know? I just work here. You ladies enjoy your day."

"Oh, we will." Willow turned toward Tara. "I guess we were right." She looked at Seth. He seemed flustered as he was talking to the waitress. "I have a feeling that this isn't going to be all that easy. I think he has a little trouble talking with the ladies."

"That's all right." Tara took Willow's hand and squeezed it tight. "If the two of them are soulmates, then we will be able to get them together. It's just a matter of time before two people that belong together will find one another. And we get to spend all that time together. It's a win-win situation." She leaned in and kissed Willow gently.


	3. Chapter 3

AN Sorry to have been so tardy in updates. Life, writer's block all just excuses. Hope those that liked this are still interested. And to the love of my life, I'm your number one fan.

The rain fell silently upon the old roof. In many spots, it leaked like a rainfall. Willow's first impression of the Bed and Breakfast was correct. It certainly could use with a little repair. She was tempted to try and contact Xander. He would do it for nothing in a heartbeat. But she did not want to interrupt his time on the road. It was a healing trip, she knew. Though he and Anya had made peace, there was still a lot of hurt at her loss.

Tara sat with her eyes closed next to her. It had gone back to the way it was before. It was like the two had never been a part. But that had been agony. At least when they were broke up, she knew that she could see her. Of course, seeing her kiss that girl had hurt deeply. But of course it was nothing, as she should have known. Tara only left her so that she could finally get control of her magick. It took nearly killing Dawn for that to happen. How sad.

A deep sigh escaped the young witch. It was out of contentment and also out of worry. She could see, in the little contact that they had had with Seth that he was the one for Gina. It was like Henry had been reborn in Seth. But the age of the man made that nearly impossible. She knew of circumstances where loved ones felt that their recently departed had made an impact on their souls, but she wasn't sure if this was the same thing.

In the last two days, the two young women had enjoyed each other's company. But they had also tried to find out as much about Gina, her late husband, and Seth. The only thing that was even a bit out of the ordinary was the fact that Seth had had a heart attack about four years ago. In fact, it had weakened his heart so much that he had had to have a heart transplant. It was around the time of Gina's husband's death.

Hospital records are very confidential. They are closed off via the internet. Or are they? Willow smiled to herself. She wanted to just be with Tara for a little while longer. She hoped that the powers that be would understand. It was not that she did not want to help these two people find the love that they deserved, but she wanted to enjoy the gift that she had been granted as well. Her own very special and amazing gift of love that she would treasure till the end of time.

A few hours had passed and it was already time for the two to help Gina with the baking. Tara was more accomplished in the kitchen then Willow, but the redhead could hold her own. The older woman was grateful for both the company and the help. It was getting harder and harder for her to keep up like she had.

"We'll take these down to the diner in the morning, if you want." Willow pulled out the last of the apple pies. "We have a bit of running to do in the morning anyways. That way you can have one morning where you relax a bit. You don't have that very often."

"No, I don't." Gina was frosting the last of the cakes. "I don't know if I'll know what to do with myself. Perhaps I'll just go for a walk. I haven't been anywhere in ages. Or, maybe I'll go to the diner with you. Just as a customer. That is if you don't mind not having breakfast. I'll throw in lunch for you."

"That's fine with us." Willow smiled as she and Tara began to put all the goodies in boxes. "Like I said, we'll be out early tomorrow anyways. It won't take long to drop these off. Do you mind staying? We have to drive out of town."

"You mean at the diner?" Gina looked a bit puzzled. "I guess not. Perhaps one of the nice people there can give me a ride. Or, like I said, I could do with a walk. Just to hear the birds chirp would be so nice."

"Thanks for understanding." Willow pulled Tara upstairs with her. "This is part of the plan. We do have to go somewhere. I thought maybe if we got Gina to the diner on pretenses other then her having to do business, maybe she could start up a friendly conversation with Seth. Or maybe not. But it's worth a shot."

"I think that it'll work. If Seth can get his tongue untied." They both chuckled softly at the thought. "Where are we going? Or is that a surprise for me that you have cooked up?"

"Sorry to disappoint but this is another part of my plan to get Seth and Gina together." Willow began to undress. "Now, we can talk or we can do something else. That is, if you don't mind a little surprise."

Tara's sapphire blue eyes twinkled brightly. "I love surprises. Especially when they come from you." Slowly, the young blond pulled Willow closer to her. "I think I have a surprise or two for you as well." It was time for the redhead's emerald to twinkle in anticipation.

* * *

Willow and Tara had left Gina at the diner. The last they had seen of her, she was in the back talking to Seth. What they could hear was two very good cooks exchanging recipes. It was a start to get the extremely shy cook to come out of his shell. He was a real softy once you got to know him. It was a perfect pairing, if only the two witches could come through.

The two young woman had driven a couple hours to the larger city of Pittsburgh. They had gone to the hospital where Seth had had his transplant. Those records were heavily guarded. It would take a little doing to get the information that they sought. If it was what Willow suspected it could either bring Gina and Seth closer together or shatter them beyond repair. The redhead wished she knew which it was going to be.

Tara was the lookout as Willow did a glamour. She had disguised herself as a doctor but she now had to appear older so that she could get to the records they needed. It didn't take much to convince the nurse on duty of who she was. When you are a powerful witch, nearly anything is possible. The redhead quickly scanned the file and found that she was right. Now, what exactly to do with the information that she had?

It was a long and quiet trip back to Wintersborough. Both were in deep thought on how best to tell Gina what they had found out. Or should they talk to Seth first? Neither was too sure at the moment how to handle it. Would Gina think that her Henry's life had been well served by giving Seth a lease on life? Or would she resent the fact that it was Seth that lived when it could have been her Henry. It was a tricky situation.

When they got back to the bed and breakfast, Gina was sitting on the front porch, and to their surprise, she was with Seth. It was a pleasant surprise. But it put a crimp in the plan that they had tentatively come up with. They were going to spring the news first on Gina to see how she reacted. But the older couple almost seemed like they were old lovers then tentative new friends. It really did complicate things.

"Hello you two." Gina looked up from the photo album she had been showing Seth. "I was just showing the best cook in Wintersborough a few of my old pictures of my Henry. The two of them apparently were in the service together. I never knew it. And Seth here lost track of where his old army buddy had gotten to. Isn't life full of coincidences?"

"Yeah." Willow laughed nervously. "More then we really even ever know. Sorry to cut this short, but we've been on the road most of the day. We could use with a bit of freshening up before we help you with dinner, if that's all right."

"That's fine." Gina had a smile on her face. It was the first real smile that either of the witches had ever seen. "It'll give me and Mr. Sanders a chance to get to know each other. I can't believe we've both lived in this little town for the past twenty years and never even took the time to meet. Been to the diner so many times. Oh well. I guess everything happens for a reason."

"That's been our experience." Willow smiled shyly. "We'll see you in a little bit." The pair didn't wait for a response. Instead, they took off for their room. Only after the door was locked did either of them say anything. "OK." The redhead sighed heavily. "Either we did that digging for nothing or things are looking better then they really are."

Tara made her way and sat on the bed. "I'm not sure if things are as good as Gina wants them to be. I felt that Mr. Sanders was a bit nervous. And I don't just mean because he was around a woman. I wonder if he knows what we know. I wonder if he's working up the courage to tell the woman that he has major feelings for that he has her husband's heart."

"I'm not sure." Willow made her way next to Tara. "It's all a bit weird if you ask me. We are sent to help these two find one another and there is this bigger connection." The two sat holding hands, thinking of the possibilities. It was the redhead that came up with the possible solution. "Maybe we're not here to make a love connection."

The blond eyed her girlfriend. It took a second for her to understand what her girlfriend was getting at. "You mean, we've thought of ourselves as cupid's helpers. What if we're here instead to grant both of them the closer they so desperately." Tara sighed heavily. "I think the fact that we've now found the love that we've so missed we thought that's why we would be here now for these two people."

Willow chuckled softly. "I think you are right. I guess, to me, the greatest gift is the gift of love. That was when the powers that be saw it to grant me you once again. Not that people don't want nor deserve love. It's just that there are other things in life then love. What if these two just need companionship. What is Mr. Sanders' past? Did he ever get married?"

"Good question. Wish we'd thought about all of this before we went to the hospital." Tara looked a bit sad. "I hate using magick when we don't have to. There are so many consequences when using magick. One has to be so careful. I know we both are, but still."

"Yeah." Willow took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I think it's been long enough. Besides, it's well past dinnertime. I'm sure that Gina will want to get started. Not sure if Mr. Sanders will be able to stick around or not."

The two made their way downstairs. At the sound of someone crying, the pair made their way even quicker. The scene on the front porch surprised them a little. Mr. Sanders was standing with his back to Gina. The older woman was crying so hard that she was nearly hyperventilating. It scared the two witches a great deal.

It was Willow that broke the awkwardness. "Gina, are you all right? We weren't gone that long. Mr. Sanders, are you all right?"

Gina turned and collapsed into Willow's arms. "He's..." The older woman kept having to stop to get deep breaths. "He's got..." Another deep inhale by the distraught woman. "He's got my Henry's heart."

With that gasp, the older woman passed out. Mr. Sanders turned to see her hanging limp in Willow's arms. "Allow me." The man swooped up Gina before either witch could say anything. Silently, they followed him to Gina's bedroom. He turned to go as soon as he had the older woman settled on the bed. Both blocked his path. "I didn't mean to hurt her. I just felt that she should know. I've know, well, since I put it together nearly fifteen years ago. I just got up the nerve to tell her."

"That's why you've always helped her out with the baked goods." Mr. Sanders nodded sadly. "And you chose why now?" The older man simply shrugged his shoulders. "We'll take care of her. You go. Perhaps we can talk to her." Willow watched him walk out without saying another word. This was so not what they thought was going to happen. How did you help someone cope with the fact that someone she admired was the one that lived and her true loved died? This was going to take more then magick.


	4. Chapter 4

AN Hope this is still going good. Know it's been awhile since I updated. I try that's all I can say. Any suggestions, let me know. Thanks all.

What a mess. That's what had become of their 'assignment'. Now Gina was closing herself off from our favorite witches as well as Seth and the rest of the town. She no longer took the baked goods to the diner. In fact, she didn't bake at all. It had once been one of her favorite things to do. Now, she just sat around the house going from one picture of Henry to another.

Willow and Tara were at a loss on this one. Their first thoughts had been that the two were meant to be in love. But then they had realized, possibly to late that the two had probably only been meant to be friends. Who better to help both of them remember the past. Gina just loved to talk about Henry. And it seemed that Seth got some healing out of talking of the days in the Army. It would have been a win-win situation.

Now, neither witch knew what to do. Every time they tried to talk to Gina, she would barely acknowledge them. If they even hinted about Seth, she would run to her room bursting in tears as she went. It was almost the same thing when they tried to talk to Seth. In his case, he would simply calm up. It was frustrating to say the least.

The two witches were now sitting on the front porch of the bed and breakfast. They had just finished one of Gina's unusually small breakfasts. She had not been doing cooking like she had been when they first got there, not just the baking. The two sat on the porch and watched the little bit of traffic.

There were a few people that would wave as they walked by. It was nice being in a small town. People were a little friendlier then in the city. Plus, the pace of life didn't seem quite as hectic. It was a nice relaxing vacation. At least it would be had they not deemed fit to mess up their very first assignment.

That's when a familiar voice startled both young women. "It's not going to be easy." They both looked around but could not see the face that went with the voice. "Sorry you two. I can't be seen. Only you two can hear me. As I was saying, none of your assignments are going to be that easy. Whether you are here to help people find love, something they thought they lost, or simply to see that life is worth living. It's going to be harder in some cases then in others."

"I didn't think it would be easy." Willow whispered so that Gina could not hear her. "But I also didn't think that it was going to be this difficult. We kinda went about this the wrong way. The least the powers that be could do is tell us why we are where we are. I'm not looking a gift horse in the mouth. I want to do whatever it is we're supposed to do."

"But a little hint would have been nice." There was a little bit of amusement in Miss Calendar's voice. "That's the way things work. I guess that's why things aren't that easy. That's why life has its ups and downs. We have a plan for everyone but we also gave them free will. It's the same for you now. These two were supposed to be friends. They were going to help each other through the difficulty of going on alone. But now, that doesn't look like it's going to happen."

"It's sad." Tara's voice was soft with sadness. "Everyone needs someone to go through life with. It doesn't matter if they have a lover, but just someone that can make the days filled with something more then emptiness. I would have been happy if Willow and I had remained just friends. Of course, ecstatic that we were able to find more."

"That's why you two are the perfect ones for this job." Miss Calendar was starting to sound distant. "I have to go soon. I only came to give you a little encouragement. Don't give up on these two. They need you two more then they know. They need each other more then they know. Just keep that in mind and do what you are good at."

Willow turned to Tara. "What exactly are we good at? There's the witchcraft. But I don't want to cast any spells. That would make it not real, whatever kind of relationship that they found. They need to find something that is honest and true. I found out the hard way that lies have no place in a relationship. They can destroy it."

"We got through it." Tara squeezed her lover's hand. "If people are truly meant to be together then they will find a way to be together. Perhaps we need to say less and do more. Maybe we have to show them just how important they could be in their lives. How exactly, I'm still not sure."

"I know." Willow sighed heavily. "I think you are right. And I'm trying to think what Miss Calendar said. It sounds like we do need a little bit of a spell. But nothing that wouldn't be any different then their natural way of life. I wonder what we could do that wouldn't necessarily interfere with their daily lives."

"What about their nightly lives?" The look on Willow's face was prices. "I don't mean anything sexual. You are a dirty girl." The redhead raised her eyebrows a couple times. "Course, I already knew that. What I'm talking about is perhaps letting them have a dream. Maybe do one of those what would your life be with and without the other person in it."

"I see what you're getting at." The wheels in Willow's brain started to turn. "That sounds like a great plan. We could split up. You take Gina. I'll take Seth. We'll show it true too. No embellishing. We want them to find this out with truth not with something we made up. I think I know a spell that might just do the trick."

"I know you do." Willow looked at her girl with a surprised look. "It's the one that they used on you while you were in England. You were wishing that you weren't in the world. But seeing how your friends were without you was not a pleasant thing, now was it."

Willow chuckled softly. "I should have known you would have known about that. It was probably your idea somehow. I say we get some sleep now. It's going to be a long night. The spell takes all night, as you well know."

"Yes, I do." Tara leaned over and kissed her girl gently.

* * *

Gina felt herself floating. It was not like any other dream that she had had before. She knew it was a dream. It just had to be. She would never set foot again in the diner. She had made that decision the moment that she had found out what type of man that Seth was. If only he had told her when he himself had found out instead of keeping it to himself all these years.

It was not something that she cared to think about. Yet she found herself in the place that she swore she would never go to. It looked different then the last time that she had been there. It didn't have the old country feel that it once had. In fact, it was now one of those retro fifties cafes. It saddened her to think that Seth had made those kinds of changes.

Then she remembered just how angry that she was with him. All those thoughts went out of her head in an instant. The woman kept floating until she was in the kitchen. Instead of finding Seth there like she had thought she would, there was some guy dressed like a sous chef. He was making something she couldn't even recognize.

She turned when she heard the familiar ringing of the bell over the door. At least that had not changed. One of her neighbors walked in and sat at the counter. The waitress was there in an instant. "I still can't believe it." Mr. Sanderson sighed sadly. "I can't believe that Seth has been gone for a year now. I thought he would have lived forever. He was quiet but tough as nails."

"I know what you mean." The waitress leaned against the counter. "Between you and me, I think he died of loneliness. I know for awhile he had been happy spending time with the one that owned the bed and breakfast. Then one day he came into work and said nothing. I don't think he said two words after that."

"Makes you wonder." The conversation seemed to keep going, but Gina could no longer hear what they were saying. Of course, she had heard enough. She realized how stupid she had acted. It couldn't have been easy building up the courage to tell her the truth. And she knew better then anyone what loneliness can do to a person. Just to have someone her own age to talk to was amazing. Had she been too harsh on him? Was it too late to try and be friends once again?

* * *

Seth walked through the town that he had lived in for so long now. It had been like coming to paradise after his stint in the service. But now that Gina was mad at him, it was turning into his own living nightmare. Of course, this was some kind of dream. He could feel it. Something was just not right.

He knew exactly where he was headed. Once he had realized who Gina was, he had driven home by her place every day from work. It was a little out of the way, but it was worth it when he had caught a glimpse of her. It was not that he was in love with her. It was just that he knew that she would know what it was like. He had lost his wife ten years ago and lived a very lonely life ever since.

The few days that they had spent in the diner talking was wonderful. It was the greatest way to start off his days when she had brought in her baked goods. That had been taken away from him because she misunderstood what he had been thinking. He was at one time not sure if he would tell her at all. But he then thought that she deserved to know.

It was hard for him as well. Henry had been his best friend in the world. Granted they had lost touch after they had gotten out of the Army, but he still thought of him as the man that had meant the most to him. They had saved each other a few times. It was his friend that had done the last bit of saving.

For that, he would be eternally grateful. However, living a life alone just didn't seem to be any life at all. In fact, he would rather be dead then to have to keep living the solitaire life that he had for the past few. It amazed him that he had survived as long as he had without his wife. Just to have someone to talk to. That's all he ever wanted.

Finally, the man came to the place that he knew he had been destined to go to. The condition of the house shocked him. Most of the windows had boards over them because the glass had been broken out. The roof seem to have holes over every square inch of it. The roof over the porch was almost falling down on the porch. He couldn't believe that Gina would let her house get in that bad of shape.

Carefully, he made his way on to the front porch. He peered inside the house. There was a lone light on in the living room. He could see Gina sitting there with a picture in her hand. Gently she rocked in her rocking chair. The woman looked so old. And yet, he could tell that she was not much older then when he had seen her last.

It's sad what loneliness can do to a person. It slowly kills a person. Perhaps not literally, but it takes away your will to live. It makes some people turn inward and become a shell of the person that they once were. In Gina's case it had nearly killed her to be all alone with no one to talk to. It made him angry to see her like that.

It was time that he did something about it. Hopefully it would not make matter worse. First thing in the morning he would come over and have a talk with Gina. The diner would have to fend for itself one day. He had something more important to take care of. He had to make up for the stupid mistake he had so carelessly made.


	5. Chapter 5

AN Hope you are all still interested. Thanks for the reviews. Hope you enjoy. I love you my everything.

It was four in the morning. Neither Willow nor Tara could sleep. Partly it was because of the spell. Partly it was because they were worried. Not everyone can learn from the what if they made both Gina and Seth live in a dream. There was also the possibility that their spell did not have the intended results. Either way, they were worried that they would not be able to get Gina and Seth back together as friends.

Usually at this time, they could hear Gina bustling around in the kitchen. Though they had only been in the little bed and breakfast for two week, they had gotten used to the routine. Now, it was nothing but silence in the house and the entire little town. Peaceful was a good thing. But it was also something that could drive a person insane.

The two were bundled up on the front porch swing. Mid September in Pennsylvania is quite chilly, especially at four in the morning. But it gave the two young lovers a chance to snuggle with one another. It was something they tried to do often since they had gotten this incredible gift which was a second chance.

Both young women were startled by a light coming from the kitchen. Without hesitation, both of the jumped to their feet to investigate. When they got to the kitchen, there was Gina. She was pulling out the usual pots and pans and bake ware that she used to use when she had taken pies and such to the diner.

The older woman looked liked she had not slept at all. Yet she was moving with great speed and concentration. She did not even realize that the two witches were standing in the doorway. They watched her for a few minutes to make sure that she was indeed preparing the baked goods for the diner.

It was Willow that let her know their presence. "Gina, are you all right? It's been a couple days since you made your usual delivery to the diner. Can we help you out?" The witch stepped a little closer hoping that the older woman would say yes.

Gina turned and looked from Willow to Tara. She smiled sadly at the youngsters. "You know, the older you get, the more foolish you get at times. You see, I had a dream last night. It was simply awful. It was a dream had I not met with Seth. I realized something after that dream. He was as scared as I was of going on without the love of his life. That's why he didn't tell me about his the transplant. I reacted the way that he feared. I reacted as if he were the one to kill my Henry. In reality, he would have given anything for him to live and he to die. He wanted to be with his wife too. Now, we are left living alone when we don't have to. We can at least have each other to keep each other company until it's time. But I have to make it up to him."

"You don't have to." Tara smiled at the older woman. "He'll understand. He already does understand. As you said, he was thinking of how you would react because it would be how he would feel if the opposite had been true. He knew how much it would hurt thinking another person got to live when his everything had to die. He's lonely now. His cooking isn't up to it's usual standard. He needs his friend back in his life."

The older woman turned from the young couple. "I know. I've been such an idiot. But when emotions are involved, well, I just don't always know how to deal with them like I should. It's time that I started. And it's time that I get to work. Is the offer for you two to help me still standing? I could use it."

"It's always there. Just have to let us know what to do." Willow made her way to the refrigerator and began pulling out the usual ingredients. "Let's get started." The three worked in mostly silence the next two and a half hours. The time seemed to fly by and yet, it seem to stand still at the same time. The two witches were happy to be helping someone out and happy to spend more time together. It all worked out for the three of them.

Across the little town, Seth was already preparing the diner for the morning crowd. He wasn't opening quite as early as he used to complaints from some of his regulars. But he wasn't really into the caring part of it. The diner used to be his and his wife's. They had bought the place right when he got out of the service. It was his wife that had done most of the cooking back then. He had learned a great deal from her.

After she had died, the diner had gone down hill. There were many of the towns folk that tried to help him out. But he just wasn't willing to take help. To him, without his wife by his side, it really didn't matter. Nothing really seemed to matter. Just breathing was a problem for him it hurt so much without his wife by his side.

That was until Gina had came into his diner. They had talked briefly on the phone a few days before. She was looking for a way to make a little extra money. Though she had personally never been in his diner, she knew that it had a good reputation in town. She had wondered if he would be interested in selling some of her baked goods.

Truth be told, the man sold very few desserts. Partly because it wasn't his specialty. Partly because not that many wanted dessert after a heavy meal that he prepared. But there had been something in her voice that had made him agree to seeing her. After he had, he put two and two together and realized that she was his army buddies wife.

That had been enough for him. Without even tasting any of the goodies she had brought to sample, he had bought all that she had. He also had struck up the contract for fresh baked goods every morning. He would pay a fair price for them. It was one way that he could help her out. Especially since he had her Henry's heart.

The dream that he had the night before kept going through his head. Deep down he had known that his life needed someone in it. It would have been wonderful if they had made that deep down connection he had hoped for. Not the kind between two lovers, but the kind that make to people the best of friends. Both could understand so well where the other was coming from. Plus, they had Henry as a commonality.

That was part of the reason he was opening a little earlier then he had been the past few days. That was to the delight of some of his regulars. But it was because he was going to take a break around ten, something he rarely did, and go and talk to Gina. Somehow, he just had to make her see that he never had wanted to keep anything from her. He just didn't know how to tell her such painful news.

Looking over in the corner made him wish that time would move a little quicker. It was the racks that all of her baked goods would sit on. Truth be told, half of them would have to be thrown out. He hated to waste food, but he just couldn't say no to her. He knew that she needed the money and besides, she was Henry's wife.

The ringing of the little bell over the door startled him a bit. His usual regulars were there already. Perhaps someone was going out of town early. It was Friday and a lot of people traveled this time of year to see the autumn colors. It was something that he and his wife had enjoyed doing a great deal. It gave them more reason to spend alone together, not that they needed any.

The petite little waitress that had waited on Willow and Tara their first day in the diner came to the kitchen. She had a big smile on her face. "Well, looks like you got some special visitors out there. They want to see you in person. Why, I don't know. You aren't the handsomest mug around."

Seth smiled at his waitress. She was an old friend of his wife's and it gave him a great deal of pleasure to be able to help her out. "Tell them I'll be right out. I gotta finished pouring the grease in for the fries." It took him all of two seconds to finish up what he had been doing. When he pushed the swinging doors open, he was surprised to see Gina and the two witches standing there and with a whole allotment of baking goods. "Gina? And goodies to boot?"

Gina pushed the little cart that she used to transport the baked goods toward Seth. "I know. I've been a little lapse on keeping up with our contract. I'm sorry about that. Lets just say that an old fool had to sulk a bit before learning her lessen the hard way. I don't want to lose your friendship. I understand now why you didn't tell me. It took a lot of courage to come forth like you did. I'm grateful that you did."

Seth blushed a little. "I realize now how you truly must have felt hearing. The very thought that it was the other way around just makes my heart hurt. That's why I was never going to tell you. But then, something pushed me to do it. Partly because I hate lying. Partly because I know Henry would have wanted me to tell you."

"It's mostly my fault." Gina came up and gave the big man a bear hug. "If I hadn't been so hurt over the loss of Henry still, I might not have reacted the way I did. And to cut you totally out of my life, that was inexcusable. So if you'll allow me to continue bringing my baked goods, I'll be happy to keep you well supplied. Plus, I'd like to cook you dinner tonight."

"I'd love it on both counts." Henry returned her bear hug. "Now, lets get these goodies to the back. Don't want the customers thinking that they are free for the taking now do we?" The two laughed a little as they walked into the kitchen. They forgot all about Willow and Tara.

But to the two witches, that was the way it was supposed to be. They were just here to get these two back together. It was now time to leave. Both of them were beginning to feel that pull again. It meant that somewhere out there, two people needed them. So the two quickly made it back to the bread and breakfast and packed all their belongings. They left a little extra cash to continue to help Gina out, though they knew that Seth would be doing that for her.

The two traveled in silence for the longest time. It was almost three hours later when they stopped. There hadn't been a pull or anything but both were tired and needed to rest. When one is up almost the entire night, one gets tired. The two sat in the little restaurant and nursed their coffees. They had had lunch and were just about to get back on the road.

That was when both felt the pull once again. It was keeping them in their seats. So when the waitress offered them another cup of coffee, the two accepted. It wasn't long until they noticed a young woman in the corner eating by herself. She had on wire rimmed glasses and looked a bit mousy. They could not help but notice how she jumped when the waitress talked to her. It was obvious this was there next assignment.

As the young woman got up to leave, the pull made them follow her. It was a few blocks later that the young woman entered the local library. The two witches followed her inside. The mousy woman made her way to the front desk where she relieved another young woman. The two noticed how she kept looking after the other young woman as she kept walking away. There was a look of pining on her face.

Willow and Tara made their way back out on the street. They would find a hotel and settle things there before returning to the library. If their first instincts were right, this young woman was in love. She looked so shy. It was not going to be the easiest thing but the two of them would do what they could to get these two women together. Hopefully, that was why they were here. After all, they had been wrong before. Only time would tell.


	6. Chapter 6

AN Thanks for the reviews. Though I have a sorta direction for this, always can use suggestions. Hope you enjoy.

Willow was on the computer looking around the city, the virtual city. They had traveled through most of Pennsylvania and were now in Pittsburgh. The town was almost a country in itself if one did not know their way around. She was trying to familiarize herself with all the restaurants, clubs, and movie theaters. Knowing all of this could help in their latest assignment.

Of course, they would have to find their assignment first. After settling in at the hotel, the two had gone back to the library. They had looked around for an hour or so before giving up. The one young woman that the mousy one was looking at was still there. They had gotten her name, Susan McGrady. At least that was a start. They still had to find out who the other young woman was and where they could find her.

The redheaded witch stretched. She had been on the computer for nearly two hours. Thanks to her quick memory, she pretty much had the ins and outs of the large city memorized. But it still did not help them in finding where the young woman was. Willow got up and plopped herself beside Tara on the bed. "My head is so fried."

Tara gently moved Willow so that her girlfriend had her head resting in her lap. She then began to gently massage her temples. "You get so stressed out. You have to relax. If there's one thing that I've learned is that things happen for a reason. And that things happen like they are supposed to. We just have to learn to deal with that."

"Not so easy." Willow began almost purring the massaging felt so good. "I mean, look at all that I've done. Are you really telling me that me killing Warren happened because it was supposed to? I mean, I did a lot of bad things while I was evil. I almost killed Giles. I made Buffy and Dawn fight for their lives. Did all of that happen for a reason?"

The blond witch made it so that she could look into her everything's eyes. "We never have discussed this. Not really. You see, I think it all did happen for a reason. Like us breaking in the first place. It was so that you would realize how out of control your magicks were. That was the first step. The next, was hurting you the worst way. The powers that be knew that losing me would send you over the edge. They needed that. They just hoped that Xander would be strong enough to stand up to you like he did. That was all needed so that you would be strong enough and in control enough to perform the spell to activate all the slayers. Every little thing that has happened in our lives has happened for a reason. True, there is freedom of choice. But it seems like no matter what choice we make, it all leads down the same path."

Willow sat up and looked into the eyes that took her breath away. "I would ask how lucky I was to end up with you, but according to you, we were supposed to be together. I'm wondering then if that's why the powers that be let you live once again. They had basically messed with me enough to get me to where I need to be. Now, I can actually live in peace and be happy. You know though that I'm never really at peace. Even with your arms wrapped tight around me and knowing that you'll never leave me, I still have nightmares. I think about those things that I did or almost did and it makes me physically ill. I just can't put them away. They are always there reminding me of what could happen should I lose control."

"That's one of the consequences." Tara gently kissed Willow on the top of the head. "You've learned the biggest lessen that any human can. That is that we are all fallible. None of us are ever going to be perfect. We all have to learn from the past and remember it so that we don't make the same mistakes twice. Your mistakes just happen to be a million times greater. And mostly it's because the powers that be wanted you to make those mistakes. It's a catch twenty two in your case. You were damned if you didn't and damned if you did."

"You were always so loving, so supportive of me." Willow pulled herself closer to Tara. "Even when I messed up, you understood and stood by me. You did what you knew it would take for me to quit the magicks. You would have stood by me till the end of time if our time together hadn't been cut so short the first time around. Now, you are still here and so understanding and loving. I want you to know that I realize what a gift this is. I will never take us or our lives together for granted. And I want to continue to help others find what we've found."

"It's the best way for us to give back." Tara pulled Willow into a tight hug. "For us to sit by and just live our lives would not be fair. There is so much suffering now in the world. War is constant. Any other kind of evil seems prominent. We just have to make the world better, one person at a time."

"Definitely." Willow kissed Tara with a passion that deepened with every second that their lips touched. "Shall we see if we can find this latest one that seems so sad? I mean, she reminds me a bit of myself when back before Buffy. I think she just needs a friend or two to help her come out of her shell."

"Sounds true to me." Tara stood and stretched. "Why don't we grab a quick dinner and then get a good nights sleep. Then, we can hang out at the library tomorrow. Hopefully we can run into her. I wish we knew somewhere else she might be."

"We'll find her." Willow got up and stretched as well. "Hopefully we can give her the happiness that we've been given."

* * *

The next morning found our couple having eaten breakfast and wandering around the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. It was not your ordinary library. It specialized in art, music, history, and special interest. There were several of these specialized libraries throughout the surrounding suburbs of Pittsburgh. All of them have free programs throughout the year.

The mousy looking girl was still nowhere to be seen. But the other young woman was. Susan was sitting at the front desk where they had last seen the one that they thought was the one that they had been sent to help. Though they had all the time in the world, they also wanted to make sure that they found the girl before too long.

It was closing in on noon. The two witches were just about to leave to grab some lunch when the young woman they had been waiting for showed up. She walked over to the front desk and took the place of Susan. The two didn't even say anything to one another. The witches watched as again the mousy looking girl pined after Susan.

Willow slowly made her way over to the front desk while Tara made her way to find out where Susan was going. The redhead stood at the desk for a few minutes before she was even acknowledged. "C-can I h-help you?" The stuttering instantly made her think of when she had first met Tara. "A-are y-you lost?"

The witch shook her head. "Not exactly. You see, me and my girlfriend are here visiting. We've done the research on the internet. We were wondering if you might be able to tell us where the sights are in this town?"

The young woman blushed redder then a beat. "M-me?" She looked around like she was trapped and needed to find a way to escape. "I j-just s-sit here all d-day long and p-point people to w-where they want to g-go. It's h-here or h-home for m-me."

"I'm sorry." Willow looked really apologetic. "I know it's a big town and all but I could have sworn that you were at Alexandria's Place yesterday. According to the net, it's one of the most happening places in town. I figured if you were there, you would know some of the other happening spots in town."

"M-my brother owns the place." At Willow's look, the young woman continued. "It's n-named after our m-mother. She d-died when I was only twelve. H-he let's me eat there for f-free most of the time."

"Well, if you know about your brother's place, there's got to be more you know then you realize." Willow could tell that the young woman was getting uncomfortable to the point where she might just literally pass out. "By the way, my name is Willow. My girlfriend is lost somewhere here. Her name is Tara. If you could find it in your heart, we'd appreciate you showing us around the library. If that's part of the job."

Again, the young woman looked like a deer caught in headlights. "I-it is. I j-just don't usually d-do it. U-usually S-Susan does all the t-tours. My name is H-Helen." Helen looked around her hoping to find Susan. "S-she knows more about t-this place then me. B-but if you r-really want m-me to show you a-around."

"We would." Willow spotted Tara coming out of the corner of her eye. "Here's my girl now. Can you leave the desk now or do you have to wait for someone to take over for you?" Tara came up and put her arm through Willow's.

"I-I can." Helen pulled out a little walkie talkie. "T-this will go off if s-someone n-needs something." She quickly put the walkie talkie in her pocket. "F-follow me for the t-tour." The two witches followed closely and paid close attention whenever Helen spoke. It was clear that this was not going to be easy. They would have to make friends with her before they could do anything else.

It took nearly three hours to tour the large library. Whenever they had mentioned Susan's name, the young woman blushed bright. There was definitely feelings on her part. They would have to find out if Susan could or did have the same feelings. This was going to take a little longer then their last assignment.

Finally, the three of them were back standing in front of the front desk. Tara looked at her watch. "It's getting a little late. In fact, it's about dinner time." She looked directly into Helen's eyes. "You've been so amazing showing us around. We learned more then if we had tried touring on our own. We'd like to make it up to you by buying you dinner."

"I-I can't let you." Helen quickly positioned herself behind the desk. "I m-mean, it's all p-part of the job. You d-don't owe me anything." Slowly, the young woman looked Tara straight in the eyes. "Y-you two are d-different somehow." She continued to stare directly into her eyes. "Y-you're a witch!"

Both Willow and Tara looked at each other. Not many people realized that being a witch was more then the Wiccan lifestyle. The way she said it, they both knew that she had realized that they had real power. Willow nodded her head. "It's how we met back in freshman year of college. I take it you are one as well?"

Helen nodded. She looked in awe of the two slightly older women. "I-I know you!" She looked closer at Willow. "You were the o-one I felt a f-few years ago." She shivered at the thought. But then her smile grew big. "You were the one I-I felt just a f-few months ago. I'm h-honored to meet the a-activator of all t-those slayers."

Now it was Willow that was blushing. "I was just lucky, that's all. It was meant to be that I was the one. Or unlucky, if you know the whole story. You seem really into the whole witchcraft thing. What if we take you to dinner and we discuss a few things. Would that be acceptable?"

Helen beam brightly at them. "That would be great!" The young woman looked at her watch. "Give me a couple hours. That's when my shift ends. I can't wait to spend an evening with the infamous Willow!" The redhead blushed at the thought. She wondered why exactly was Helen so glad to meet her. They would soon find out all they needed to know.


End file.
